Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair

June 18, 2024

Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair

It's December 1946, and The Right Sort marriage bureau is celebrating peace and its first holiday season with a New Year's Eve ball. They have a growing client list, and they are in the black financially. The only problem is, all of the venues that they contact are already booked. So they turn to Iris's gangster boyfriend Archie for help, since he always has just the place or a guy with the right connections. But during renovations of an old dance hall, a body is found in the wall of a basement storage area, thought at first to be someone trapped during the Blitz. The truth turns out to be far more complicated (just like the girls' personal lives).

Entertaining historical mystery, #6 in the series featuring former spy Iris Sparks and widowed socialite Gwen Bainbridge. A satisfying plot that includes plenty of snarky dialogue and interesting side characters. We are left with a cliffhanger regarding Iris and Archie's romance. At least Gwen doesn't cry as much in this one. Read the series in order from the beginning. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical mysteries, particularly those set after World War II.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

New Year's Eve at a London ballroom circa 1940s

The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair

July 12, 2019

The Right Sort of Man by Allison Sinclair

Post-World War II London is still in shock:  many residents died fighting in the war and during the Blitz, and some parts of the city are in shambles, especially the neighborhoods around the docks, the airport, and the industrial areas.  Both food and clothing are still rationed and in short supply.  With so much loss, a number of single Londoners no longer know where or how to go about making connections with others.

Iris Sparks and Gwen Bainbridge establish the Right Sort Marriage Bureau to assist single Londoners looking for a life partner.  Their combined skills help them identify what a client is really looking for and find a suitable match.  Both women also have secrets in their backgrounds.  The business has a promising start (seven marriages in three months!), until one of their clients is found murdered shortly before she was to meet up with her first potential match.

This was such an entertaining book, perfect in tone for vacation reading.  Gwen’s frequent crying gets to be a little annoying (but she is working on it), but Iris and the witty dialogue more than make up for it.  The Right Sort of Man almost a cozy, but the setting, atmosphere, and themes are darker.  Readers who enjoyed the Lady Hardcastle mysteries by T. E. Kinsey will enjoy this first title in a new series, and I for one look forward to future Sparks & Bainbridge mysteries.